OK service - terrible prices - Euston to Liverpool return and Euston to Coventry cost me an arm and a leg. Cheaper if you book many weeks in advance but that's not always possible. It should not be cheaper for two people to rent a car plus fuel than to travel by train.

I didn't think the franchise has that much flexibility regarding fairs, I don't see why they would offer a less frequent service.

If they only change is to remove a small shop from each train, it doesn't seem a big deal..

From personal experience of the East coast line and also into Bristol, I do not rate First Group at all, their service is poor and they really strike me as a business that is fixated on short term profit at the expense of service. If they are going to rebate the Govt to the level they are promising, I can see hikes in fares, car park charges and reduced service levels.

No fan in particular of Virgin, but I always opted to go Brum - Euston even though Derby - St Pancras was easier, simply to avoid First Group and their terrible service. I don't see this as good news, was there any consultation with commuters?

I used to do Brum-Euston every other w/e, service was generally rather good. Heard some horror stories about First, not looking forward to it - means probably hiring a car to get back to Manchester for Christmas from London, rather than the train (will certainly be cheaper if slower).

I didn't think the franchise has that much flexibility regarding fairs, I don't see why they would offer a less frequent service.

If they only change is to remove a small shop from each train, it doesn't seem a big deal..

From personal experience of the East coast line and also into Bristol, I do not rate First Group at all, their service is poor and they really strike me as a business that is fixated on short term profit at the expense of service. If they are going to rebate the Govt to the level they are promising, I can see hikes in fares, car park charges and reduced service levels.

No fan in particular of Virgin, but I always opted to go Brum - Euston even though Derby - St Pancras was easier, simply to avoid First Group and their terrible service. I don't see this as good news, was there any consultation with commuters?

I don't think the Midland mainline has ever been operated by First Group. Since I can remember anyway.

I don't think the Midland mainline has ever been operated by First Group. Since I can remember anyway.

Not Midland Line, I'm talking the Bristol Line, pretty sure that last time I used it FG were running it (badly). Is anyone else shocked to see that despite paying out £340m to shareholders last year, Stagecoach received a £68m bailout from the tax payer for the shortfall in forecast/revenue for its third SW trains franchise?

OK service - terrible prices - Euston to Liverpool return and Euston to Coventry cost me an arm and a leg. Cheaper if you book many weeks in advance but that's not always possible. It should not be cheaper for two people to rent a car plus fuel than to travel by train.

OK service - terrible prices - Euston to Liverpool return and Euston to Coventry cost me an arm and a leg. Cheaper if you book many weeks in advance but that's not always possible. It should not be cheaper for two people to rent a car plus fuel than to travel by train.

I had cause to get the train to MCR the other week - standard class. leave to get to MCR for an 1100 meeting and open return - £328.

It CAN'T get more expensive than that....

to be fair, the service has improved a lot, the trains are a bit cramped, but newish, the staff were all pleasant and it was on time. It was a pleasant journey (as the train was hardly a quarter full, and at those prices, who is surprised), but I wouldn't have paid that myself.....

First are poor - but at least it's not Stagecoach - who bumrape us all with their sharp practices at SWT.

From my understanding the rail franchises just transfer from one company to another lock-stock and smoking engine. So when the franchise moves over it will be the same trains, on the same track with the same staff operating. The short term franchise system leaves little room for any return on investments made by the operators. (win the franchise, 6 months to figure out what needs fixing, 12-24 months to 'fix it', leaving only 4-5 years to make back all your investment in the savings offered AND a profit before potentially losing the francise).

Remember First Group run pretty much all the trains in Scotland, lots of the UK buses, most of the yellow school buses in american, Greyhound and quite a lot of police cars, fire engines etc etc. They might possibly know as much, if not more about how to run a good transport service than a branding company who are just as interested in soft drinks, broadband and planes as they are in trains....

Now, of course, they own a lot of businesses. It may be that they run a perfectly decent Scottish bus service.

The railway company they have run connecting London to the West of England is something that has been a part of my life for more many years. As far as that business is concerned, they deserve all the criticism they get and more. Which is why it is so surprising that they get awarded with another rail service to cynically run , abuse their monopoly, only to probably give it up early in a few years time having milked as much as they can out of it.

Remember First Group run pretty much all the trains in Scotland, lots of the UK buses, most of the yellow school buses in american, Greyhound and quite a lot of police cars, fire engines etc etc. They might possibly know as much, if not more about how to run a good transport service than a branding company who are just as interested in soft drinks, broadband and planes as they are in trains....

Maybe they know more about dividends to shareholders and cash to directors than they do about running a service. Their reputation for overcrowding on FGW commuter routes is nothing to do with running a good service, it's all about how much they can get away with not putting on more stock.

Oh, and they are going to have to get a new livery - that awful blue/purple and pink looks appalling if it's anything other than freshly applied - it ages very badly....